Choices
by tmcala
Summary: She barely knows him and yet she wants so much to happen between them. 3/4 with 1/362 2/5 60/86
1. Chapter 1

**Choices~**

Chapter 1

Kuki Sanban was walking down the hall of McClintock High School when she heard the first whisper of "New Kid". She had never really understood the hype about new kids. Were people really so desperate for friends? Or were their lives so boring that even something this small could spark tons of interest? Regardless, the teenage girl continued her walk to her locker, completely uninterested in the new kid.

However, she knew at least one person who _lived_ for things like new kids. "Kuki! Have you met the new kid?" a thick Irish accent asked from the locker next to hers. "He seems just like your type. Hot, tall, irresistible."

Fanny Fulbright would no doubt be up for "Most Changed" in the yearbook. Much to the red-head's chagrin, no one had forgotten the tomboyish brat she had been as a child. But, the position of head cheerleader and most popular girl in school stopped people from ever bringing it up. Other kids were always trying to get on Fanny's good side. For whatever reason, Kuki had always been there.

The Asian smiled and shook her head at her friend. "That sounds more like your type, Fan. And, if I'm not mistaken, doesn't someone have a boyfriend? His name always slips my mind. It starts with a P, I think. Oh, Patton! That's it!" Kuki giggled.

Fanny's face turned slightly red with anger, but then she smiled at something behind Kuki. The girl turned over her shoulder to look and found the boy in question. "Hey," Fanny said, smiling.

Patton put his arm around Fanny's shoulder and smiled down at her. He wasn't like the boys she usually dated. He wasn't rich or a jerk and Kuki couldn't picture him breaking Fanny's heart. She was pretty certain he was an all around good guy. Also, Patton had been an army brat most of his life so he was happy to be somewhere long enough to make friends. Fanny gave Patton a quick kiss. "We'll see you in a little bit. OK, Kuki?"

Kuki nodded and turned in the direction of her first period class. Sometimes she was a little bit jealous of Fanny. But then she would remind herself how lucky she was to have Fanny as a friend. Ever since Mushi had died, people didn't know how to act around Kuki. Fanny and Abby had been the only people who treated her exactly the same. They were the only people Kuki ever wanted to talk about it with. Kuki took a seat in the back of her English classroom, just like every other day.

Mrs. Ryder was the oldest teacher in the district and she could barely even walk. Kuki loved English, but she couldn't stand Mrs. Ryder's croaky old voice butchering the language. "OK, class, today we have a new student joining us."

Kuki closed her eyes and cringed slightly before actually understanding the words. The only thing worse than a new kid was a new kid in your class. All of a sudden, a tall, blonde boy was taking the seat next to Kuki. "I'm certain Kuki will help you around the school today," Mrs. Ryder added.

Numbly, Kuki nodded her head. This boy was so _familiar_. With that awful bowl haircut that for some reason suited him and those heavy lidded blue eyes and the athletic build. This boy was Fanny's type, through and through, but there was something about him that made Kuki internally scream, _mine_!

The boy leaned towards her. "Wally," he said.

Randomly, she blushed. "Kuki," she replied. There was really no denying it; Wally was attractive. Kuki flipped open her notebook, uncapped her pen, and paid extremely close attention for the remainder of class. Wally did the same, pulling his pen out of his jeans' pocket.

For Kuki, the class passed much too quickly because she didn't really want to talk to Wally again. It was too much for the girl to handle, how familiar he seemed, how he could make her blush, and how Fanny was more than right. When the bell rang, Kuki began putting her notebook and pen back in her purse.

"Hey, uh, Kuki? I have this class next and…well, do you know anything about the game plan? It's next on my schedule and my counselor said something about the basketball team and cheerleaders meeting to talk about plays?" Of course, he played basketball. _Of course_. And, Kuki hadn't noticed earlier, but he had a majorly thick (and majorly sexy) Australian accent.

Acting as though her shoes were highly interesting, Kuki muttered, "Yeah, I can take you there. I've got that next too."

Wally smiled. "Thanks."

The pair began walking down the hallway together. "You've got it right," Kuki explained. "It's basically our form of gym, I guess you'd say, which all the cheerleaders like because we just pass notes the whole time and never have to do physical activity."

Wally had a nice laugh, Kuki noted as the pair wound through the halls of the school. As they got closer to the Game Plan classroom, a tiny room near the gym, Kuki could tell that Fanny was waiting for her just outside, the girl's fire red hair a dead giveaway, wrapped not-so -appropriately around Patton. There were very few things Fanny loved more than showing off what she had, whether it was a boy or a purse or her car. This often made it hard for desperate and jealous girls to be friends with her, but since Kuki was neither, it never became a problem. The Asian girl lightly cleared her throat. "This is Wally," she said.

Patton pushed Fanny aside, earning a pout and foot stomp from the girl. "You're the new kid, right?" Patton asked, sizing Wally up. They were about the same height and build. "You play basketball?"

Wally nodded. "You're Patton, right? Star player?"

Kuki could swear that Patton's chest puffed up at the words. "Bet on it. I play forward. You?"

"Point guard," Wally replied.

Patton relaxed as soon as he realized his spot was not in danger. "Well, c'mon man, I'll introduce you to the guys."

The two tall boys walked into the room, leaving Kuki and Fanny standing alone in the hall. Fanny had an annoyingly expectant look on her face. "Well…" she smiled.

Kuki rolled her light grey eyes. "So you were right. He seems really nice and he asked me to walk him here. He's in Ryder's class with me. Just, we'll see, Fan. We'll see."

Despite Kuki's indefinite answer, Fanny smiled with accomplishment and the friends entered their classroom. Game Plan was completely irrelevant for the cheerleaders. On occasion, they would vote on music or what pyramid they should perform, but the majority of the period was spent gossiping, passing notes, and checking out the basketball players. "I got a new pen," Fanny told Kuki, sticking a piece of Juicy Fruit into her mouth. "It writes pink. I think I'll use it."

The redhead slid into her seat in the back row, crossing one freckled leg over the other. Kuki took her usually spot on one of Fanny's sides, while Patton took his on the other. The Asian girl couldn't help but notice how seriously Wally was taking Mrs. Ryder's words as he stretched out at the desk next to her. However, this fact almost made her smile.

The first note of the day was placed on Kuki's desk shortly after the bell.

_Hey, you don't really seem like the cheerleading type. You seem more like an artist. What's up with that? From, Wally_

Kuki looked like a cheerleader. She was petite and Fanny always told her she was cute. But Wally was right in saying she didn't _seem_ like a cheerleader. Following Mushi's death, Kuki had changed a lot. She certainly was no longer the happy-go-lucky girl she once was. Plus, the charcoal covered fingers would give her away eventually.

Kuki glanced over to Coach Smith, who was drawing a diagram, before replying.

_I guess I'm both? It's a little complicated, but my best friend made me join the team with her and I kind of fell in love with it. -Kuki._

Kuki slipped the note into Wally's out stretched hand before opening a horribly crumpled one from Fanny.

_Hey Honey, what's up with you and new kid? Anything good? Don't you just love when I'm right? I do too! The new pen is nice, huh? Love, Fanny_

Fanny waved the new pen around in the air obnoxiously and Kuki grinned. She quickly sprawled a reply to Fanny.

_It's so cute, Fan. And NOTHING is going on between me and Wally. He seems nice and he's hot, but I don't think he'll get my art thing. Not many people do. –Kooks_

As soon as the note reached Fanny's fingers, one from Wally was flicked across Kuki's desk.

_Sure, but is it legal? –Wally_

Kuki looked up from the note and smiled at the blonde boy. He smiled back and Kuki could feel a blush climbing up her cheeks. Coach Smith glared at the two students.

_I'm sure he'll get it, sweetie. I do and he totally seems like your type. Anyway, Smith seems pissed so I'm going to pretend to pay attention now. Luuurve, Fanny_

Kuki crumpled Fanny's note up and shoved it in her purse; causing her to miss the note the Wally had sent flying in her direction. The piece of paper fluttered to the ground and the raven-haired teen leaned over to grab it, but the basketball coach beat her to it. "I think I might have to read this, Miss Sanban," Coach Smith began, carefully and slowly unfolding the creases. "Hey Kuki, I was wondering, maybe we could go out sometime? From Wally. Touching, Mr. Beatles. And a great first impression on your team. But, if Miss Sanban says yes, you'll be her first boyfriend," he let the note flutter back to the ground, "since her sister died, at least."

* * *

**A/N: So a little slow for the start, but trust me, there is a twist coming that NO ONE will expect. Because I am just that sneaky. This will probably end up between Familiar and In the Throes writing-wise. And, don't worry, the fact that Wally used to live in the area will come up and all our other friends will make appearances. (Even Rachel, Steph). Lastly, I hate the title, any ideas will be considered. **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The moment the bell rang, Kuki pushed herself out of her desk and left the classroom. As the tears welled in her light eyes, she could hear Fanny behind her telling her to wait up.

"Kuki!" a deep voice called. The girl stopped and turned, willing the tears not to spill from her eyes. "What was that all about?"

Kuki shook her head and ignored the Wally's question. However, her pause had given Fanny the time to catch up. The redhead looked apologetically up at the boy. "Sorry," she grimaced, "we're turning here." And she pushed her friend into the woman's bathroom.

Once safe inside, Fanny pulled Kuki into a bone-crushing hug and the tears finally came. "Smith is such a dick," Fanny murmured, patting the other girl's back. "You really don't say things like that to people." The freckled girl let go of her friend who hopped up onto the counter, pulling her thin legs to her chest. "Heartless bastard."

"Fan, I feel awful," Kuki moaned.

"Just don't get sick on me," Fanny chimed, trying to lighten the mood. "Sorry, that was dumb. Want me to call your mom? I'm going to call your mom." Without waiting for any reply, the girl began typing 'Kuki Home' on her phone's keyboard. She pressed send. "Hello, Mrs. Sanban. Kuki's here in the bathroom with me and she doesn't feel well. It's been a rough day. OK, sounds good. Bye!"

Fanny turned to her friend. "Want me to walk you to the front? She'll be here soon."

Kuki shook her head and hopped off the counter. "Thanks, Fanny. You should head to class though. I'll see you later."

Kuki watched as her redheaded friend left the bathroom. She turned toward the sink and threw a couple handfuls of cold water on her face. She hated this. Hated being the girl with the dead sister; hated having to deal with stupid, ignorant people _every_ day. When she too exited the room, she was immediately greeted by the form of Wally leaning casually up against the wall outside.

Not wanting to talk to him about this, right now or ever, Kuki walked briskly past the boy. She could hear his footsteps hitting the floor alongside hers. "Are you OK, Kuki?"

The ebony haired girl nodded her head tightly, a quick little jerk.

The boy shook his head sadly. "Sorry, I don't believe that," he said. Kuki was afraid to meet his eyes because, as much as she didn't want to admit it, she had had hope for Wally. And she was afraid that his opinion on her now would be written across his face like an advertisement. Kuki couldn't imagine his opinion would be a good one. Still, Kuki didn't say anything to Wally. She watched her feet shuffle along the linoleum. Wally sighed, lightly grabbing her shoulder and turning her to face him. "Kuki, I think I know what you are going through. Well, not exactly, but, the point is I had to leave my last school because of people like Smith. I know that sometimes it is so hard to handle. But, I get the feeling that you are strong enough to handle it."

The littlest things could set Kuki off, which was why Abby and Fanny remained her only friends. She hated when people pitied her, she hated when people sympathized with her, and she hated when people were jerks to her. All the Asian girl could say she really wanted was a friend. Finally, Kuki met Wally's eyes, furious. "What did people call you? Did they say that your sister killed herself? That she had been some weird, little goth girl who just up and decided to kill herself? Doubtful. Did they stare at you with that look? That look that says 'I pity you', the worst look in the world? I don't think so."

There were a few things Kuki expected when she finished her rant, almost in tears. She expected that Wally would either walk away, figuring she was much too crazy to be worth his time, or that he would give her that _look_. It would be safe to say that Kuki did not expect what she got. "Don't think I pity you. Because I don't alright? And maybe people didn't go around making false accusations about my sister, but they did make them about _me._ You want to know what people called me? Daddy. Because I made one mistake with some crazy girl at a bar and nine months later there's this _baby_ on my doorstep," Wally slowed, looking at Kuki like he had known her for years and not mere hours. "I think I know what it's like to be around assholes like Smith."

Kuki felt her eyebrows thread together as she stood in silence. She had to be mistaken. There was no way Wally had said that he had a _baby_. "A baby?" she whispered.

The blonde boy nodded, obviously embarrassed by his outburst as he ran a hand over his neck. "Yeah. Her name's Lucy. Like the Beatles song," Wally explained.

Her first instinct was to give him that look. The look she hated more than anything else on Earth, she could feel it, threatening to spread across her face. "I didn't know," she murmured. "I have to go, but if you ever need anything just let me know." Kuki backed away from Wally, giving him a slight wave. She knew it was wrong to walk away from him, to not tell him about Mushi, to not make sure he knew that she would still be his friend.

Kuki walked down the front steps of the school, heading towards her mom's dark car. She and her mother hadn't always had the best relationship, but things had changed a lot in the last year or so. "Hi, sweetie," her mother smiled as Kuki climbed into the car, "how are you feeling?"

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, pretending she could still hear Mushi whining in the back seat. "Well, are you going to tell me what was so urgent that Fanny had to call me?"

Kuki let her head hit the window with a thud. "It was stupid really. Coach Smith read a note that the new kid wrote to me in front of the class and then he said something about Mushi. I try not to let it bother me, mom. But sometimes I can't. I guess I feel better now, it's just that sometimes I like to see you or daddy," she explained.

Her mother leaned over and ran a hand down Kuki's ebony hair. "I'm sorry, Kuki. And I know exactly how you feel. Now, I want you to go back into school and finish out the day. You know why? Because even if what people say hurts you, you can't let them know. Because you are a sweet, strong, smart girl, Kuki. What those people say doesn't matter," Mrs. Sanban said. "And, besides, you want to cheer tonight, right?"

The girl nodded, leaning in to her mother's touch. Hesitantly, Kuki opened the car door and climbed out. "Thanks, mom," she said quietly. Kuki climbed back up the stairs of the school and she stopped as she reached the door, taking a deep breath and shaking her head a bit as if that would rid the morning from her memory. Her mom was right, she had to beat this.

Kuki finished the school day with a smile on her face. After the bell, she headed to the gym to meet up with the other cheerleaders. The moment she opened the door to the smelly gym, Fanny turned around. "Hey, you!" the red head called, grinning at her friend.

As she went over to sit with her friend, Kuki replied, "Are you ready for the game?" She began lacing up her purely white gym shoes.

"Well, duh," Fanny laughed. "I love the games. Hot guys jumping around and sweating?"

Kuki laughed in response. She pulled her long hair into a ponytail and tied a red and gold ribbon around it. After the ribbon was secure, she patted her hair to make sure it was neat and centered. "Not to mention the McClintock Cougars are actually _winning_ this year. Who saw that one coming?"

Fanny glanced around as if just noticing they were the only people in the gym. "I'm going to go hurry up the other girls," she told her friend. Kuki stayed sitting when Fanny disappeared into the locker room. She wanted to tell Fanny about her conversation with Wally earlier in the day, but she didn't know if it was her place to tell anyone. Maybe Wally wanted to keep his baby a secret. Kuki didn't exactly blame him.

When Fanny reappeared with most of the team, Kuki was still mulling over these thoughts. Fanny was impatiently waving Kuki to join them; the team only had a half hour before the basketball boys would show up to practice.

The cheerleaders started to stretch together and only a few moments later the basketball team walked out of their locker room. Kuki saw Fanny's face turn a light shade of red and immediately the girl was on her feet. "This is our practice time? What are you boys doing here?" she spat.

Patton separated himself from the crowd and approached Fanny, placing his large hands on her thin shoulders. "Fanny, you wouldn't mind if we started a couple minutes early, right? This game is big for us."

Kuki could see her temperamental friend soften under Patton's words. "Sure," she said, "we'll just split the gym in half." Patton nodded at Fanny's decision and the girl turned back to join the team, sliding into the splits.

Moments later, the door of the gym opened and Rachel McKenzie walked in. Kuki sighed, hoping that Fanny would not notice. The redhead didn't like Rachel, mostly because Rachel had known Patton for longer than her and was his best friend. Fanny enjoyed being the only important girl in the life of her boyfriend's, but Patton didn't seem to have gotten the memo. However, what annoyed Fanny the most was that Rachel wasn't really competition. Patton's feelings for the girl were completely platonic and Fanny felt uncharacteristically bad asking him to stop talking to the blonde girl. And, despite being a major nerd, in Fanny's opinion, and just nice, in Kuki's, she had a boyfriend.

"Oh great," Kuki heard an accented voice mutter. She turned her head to see Fanny glaring across the gym at Rachel.

"Leave her alone, Fan," Kuki warned. "She did help you with Trig earlier in the year and she obviously isn't trying to steal Patton, so just leave the poor girl alone."

Fanny stood up and twisted her skirt to center it. "Whatever you say, Kooks."

* * *

**A/N: I don't think there's every been a time where I didn't have anything to say here... :D Hope you liked it!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

After the cheerleaders finished their practice, Fanny and Kuki climbed up the stairs and sat in the top row of bleachers. They did this every week for the couple minutes in between their practice ending and basketball practice ending. Usually, they met up with Abby and Hoagie to grab dinner before the game. Occasionally, Rachel came along too, which Fanny hated. Kuki had a hard time agreeing with her friend on that matter.

"Kuki, I'm cold," Fanny whined, running her freckled hands along her equally freckled legs. Earlier, she had pulled a sweatshirt over her cheerleading top, but only her skirt covered her legs.

Sighing, Kuki slid the ponytail out of her hair. "Put some pants on or something, silly," she replied. The Asian teen shook her head around in order to fix her part.

When her hair had settled around her pale face, Kuki was greeted by a strange look from Fanny. "You look like you're insane when you shake your head like that." Kuki rolled her eyes at her friend.

Moments later, the door of the gym opened at Abby Lincoln strolled in. Her camera swung back and forth against her hip, as her dark braid swung back and forth as well. On her way up the bleachers, she paused to talk to Rachel (Kuki gave Fanny a pointed look), before joining her friends. Fanny grabbed the camera off Abby's shoulder. "Zoom in on Patton, please and thanks," the girl commanded. She glanced down at the unfamiliar device in confusion and handed it back to its owner.

"Don't worry, girl. I got shots of your man candy," the dark skinned girl said, grinning slightly. "The new kid is what we need." She focused in on Wally with her camera and snapped a quick picture.

Abby showed Kuki the picture, earning a smile. "He is my type, isn't he?" she smiled.

Fanny flapped her arms. "Yes, yes, Kuki. We all have established that I am always right. Now, Patton." The redhead pointed. "There, the one with the ball."

Abby focused the camera again and snapped several action shots of Fanny's boyfriend. Fanny reviewed them quickly and smiled. "Nice work, Abby," she praised, before noticing that Rachel was climbing the bleachers to join them. Her smile easily morphed into a frown.

"Hey, do you know when practice ends?" the blonde asked.

Fanny scowled and muttered, "Never," under her breath, to which Kuki rolled her eyes. "Soon. Four, I think," the ebony haired girl told Rachel.

Rachel nodded.

"We're going to grab a bite to eat after," Kuki continued. "You should come. Bring Nigel too!"

The blonde girl's smile threatened to overtake her face. "Yeah, sounds fun," Rachel commented. "I'll go call Nigel." She turned and walked back down the bleachers, a slight skip in her step.

Kuki shifted her body and stared at her best friend. "She wants you to like her, Fanny."

"Well, I don't," was Fanny's pointed reply.

She sighed, knowing a lost cause when she saw one. She noticed that the team was cooling down. Taking a sip of her water, Kuki stood up and started walking down the stairs. Abby and Fanny followed close behind. "Where's Hoagie?" Kuki asked her dark skinned friend.

Abby pulled her braid over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. "Science Olympiad. He's meeting us at the restaurant when he's done," she replied.

Fanny giggled slightly, never the best at withholding judgment. "Abby, you know you're dating one of the school's biggest nerds right?"

The glare that comment earned the redhead may have been made of daggers. "Nah, girl. Abby didn't know," Abby responded sarcastically.

"Well, he is pretty cute for a nerd," Fanny commented, trying to redeem herself.

Abby and Kuki shared a look that spoke volumes. The two girls loved Fanny immensely, she was their best friend, but sometimes they longed for the bossy, tomboyish Fanny they had known as kids.

"Who's cute?" Patton asked as he came over to the girls and kissed Fanny's forehead.

One of the other players whipped a t-shirt at Patton's ass. "You, Drilovsky."

Patton smirked, turning in time to smack the boy's head. "Nice one, moron." The built teenager turned towards the bleachers. "Rach, you almost ready?"

Rachel looked up from her book and smiled. "Just a second, Sergeant."

Without even glancing in her general direction, Kuki could feel Fanny's eyes roll and her face take on a red-ish hue. The Oriental girl spotted Wally having a conversation with the coach and hoped he would come over by them after. She wanted to invite him out to dinner. Fanny's elbow made a slightly painful contact with Kuki's side. "Invite Wally," she ordered.

Wally was now on his way over to the group. He was smiling, a friendly, slightly goofy smile, but Kuki could see a little worry in his eyes as well. And that made _her_ worry. "Hey, Wally, do you want to come eat with us?" Kuki asked.

The blonde pulled her to the side of the group. "I'd like to, but I have to pick up Lucy from daycare, feed her, and figure out what I'm going to do with her during the game," Wally explained. He turned away from her with a mumbled 'sorry'.

"Wait," Kuki said, taking a step to remain next to him. "Pick her up and meet us at Darla's Diner. And, the cheerleaders would be more than happy to watch her. There's always someone sitting out." In her head, she was chanting 'please' over and over. Kuki couldn't explain why yet, but she really wanted things to happen with Wally. Suddenly, she noticed that her hand was resting against his arm. Kuki drew her small hand back, not even remembering when it had gotten there in the first place.

When the goofy grin from moments earlier spread across Wally's face, Kuki was more than relieved. "OK, yeah," he said. "Thanks, Kuki." The boy jogged off in the direction of the locker room.

"Sucks that he can't come," Fanny mumbled, sounding less than interested as Kuki returned to her friends and Patton pressed a kiss into the his girlfriend's shoulder.

Kuki smiled at her friend, shaking her ebony hair. "He's meeting us there. After he picks up his daughter," she said, nonchalantly. The Oriental girl watched with a hint of a smirk as four jaws dropped. She picked at a nail. "Her name's Lucy. You know, like the Beatles song."

* * *

**A/N: Short chapter, sorry. But! The secret's out. This Rachel makes me giggle. She's so desperate or something that it's cute :D**

**~Terra**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Daughter!" Fanny exclaimed for at least the fourth time since they'd gotten in the car. Patton was driving, Fanny had taken the front, and Kuki was stretched out in the back.

Kuki rolled her eyes. Why was it that she was the only one who wasn't freaking out about this? "Yeah, Fan, he has a baby. But, I think you need to get over it because he needs us to be his friends," the Asian girl explained.

Fanny swiveled around in her seat to look at her friend. "I think he needs you to be something more, Kooks," she snickered.

Another eye roll. Patton's hand reached over to thread itself in Fanny's hair. "Leave it, baby. Kuki's right."

Her friend's head whipped around to glare at the dark haired boy, who promptly zipped his lips. Kuki's fingers found their way to her silky hair, the beginnings of a French braid forming. For the first time, she let herself wonder about the mother of this baby. Who was she? A girl at a bar, according to Wally's earlier rant. Kuki wanted to know why this girl left her baby. Was she scared, ashamed, selfish? This led to the next question: why did Wally take her? And the next: Why did Wally come to McClintock?

The Asian teen was soon overwhelmed by the urgency and quantity of the questions she formed. Being with Wally, even just as a friend, was not going to be an easy road. She would have to be prepared for harsh truths and probably a few lies. Kuki didn't care; she liked the blonde haired boy.

The car pulled up in front of a diner. It was small, crowded, and 50s themed. In short, Darla's was every bit the cliché high school hangout spot. Kuki loved it there because she felt like she was in a movie. She often felt that way, with her popular best friend and perfectly ironed cheerleading uniform. Kuki opened the door of Patton's Jeep and clambered out, spotting Nigel and Rachel as she did so. "Hey Rach!" she called.

Rachel turned and grinned, grabbing her bald boyfriend's hand and dragging him towards Kuki. "Hey!"

Nigel was student council president, class president, and a member of every single board the school had. He was also McClintock's only bald student. People tended to remember that fact a little better than the rest. Kuki thought he and Patton's blonde friend fit together perfectly. They both sat on that cusp of nerd-dom and they just _worked_.

Fanny usually claimed that the pair "disgusted" her.

"Are you excited for the game tonight?" Nigel asked Patton, looking up at the much taller boy.

Patton smiled. Sometimes, Kuki liked him better than Fanny. He was so _nice_. "Totally, man. But, right now, I'm just starving."

Kuki's redheaded best friend laughed her "I'm being obnoxious to make you think it's great to be me" laugh and grabbed Patton's elbow, hauling him towards the tacky restaurant. Once they were a safe distance away, Fanny's hand found its way to the boy's back pocket.

The Asian teen watched as Rachel's blonde eyebrows scrunched together, accompanied by a sigh. "She doesn't like me very much, does she?" Rachel asked.

It was times like these when Kuki wished she wasn't associated with Fanny. But, then she would remember the way Fanny has been after Mushi and how sometimes her friend seemed like the only constant in her life. Kuki pursed her lips, trying to figure out the nicest way to word the inevitable crushing of Rachel's hopes. "It's not you. That sounds really cliché. But, honestly, it's just Fanny. Eventually, she'll be confident enough that you won't be viewed only as a threat, but that day hasn't come."

The remaining trio began the trek from the parking lot. Nigel placed his arm around Rachel's shoulders, tucking a stray blonde strand behind her ear. "Aren't Hoagie and Abby coming?" the blonde asked.

Kuki nodded in response. "Yeah. Hoagie had some science thing. They should be here soon. And, I don't know if you guys met the new kid, Wally Beetles? I mentioned he was coming earlier."

"Wallabee Beetles. 6 foot 3, point guard, potentially promising student, hothead, slacker," Nigel listed off. A grin spread across his face.

"Impressive," Kuki giggled. She didn't know how the couple would feel about Wally's baby and she was a little afraid to ask. It was a well-known fact that despite Rachel's quietness, she was hugely opinionated. As well Nigel.

Nigel opened the door to Darla's when they reached it, letting both girls enter before himself. "Does he really have a baby?" Rachel looked to Kuki for an answer.

"I don't think he'd lie, Rach. But, I guess I haven't seen her," she responded. Kuki slid into 'their' booth next to Fanny.

Rachel followed suit, sitting next to Patton. "How'd it even happen? It's weird, Kuki; you have to admit. Unless you know something?"

Kuki shook her head. "I'll let you know as soon as I do."

Rachel was apparently finished with her questions and Kuki took the moment to glance around at the diner. All the Friday night regulars were present. Her group, a few other kids from McClintock, and some old guys. She smiled. It wasn't so crowded so that meant they'd get to have their favorite waitress, Darla herself. The older woman always claimed she hated the kids, but Kuki knew deep down there was a soft spot for the group of them. The ebony haired girl turned her gaze to the door so that she could get Wally's attention as soon as he arrived.

"Kuki!" Fanny's voice and the sharp smack of metal against bone broke Kuki's daze. She rubbed her wrist lightly with her other hand. "What pyramid should be do for the quarter?"

She rolled her eyes in response. "You're the captain, Fanny. Just pick one. They're all good. And, was it really necessary to hit me with a spoon?"

Kuki went back to staring at the door after Fanny gave a sharp nod of red hair. She discovered that Wally had already arrived at the restaurant and was talking to the hostess.

"He's with us!" Kuki called out.

Wally was sent over by the girl on roller skates. He approached the table awkwardly, weighed down on one side by a large backpack and on the other by a smiling baby girl. "Hey, guys," Wally said hesitantly, shifting his possessions around to give a slight wave.

"Hi!" Kuki exclaimed. She smiled at her new friend. She glanced around the table, noticing that Fanny's face was turning red.

There were several different reasonings behind Fanny's face discoloring. It happened when she was mad, embarrassed, shocked, uncomfortable. Kuki was feeling discomfort was behind this one.

Wally scratched his head. "I need a high-chair. Would you mind holding Lucy for a quick second, Kuki?" the boy asked, clearly embarrassed.

Kuki shook her head. Wally handed her his daughter.

It was the very first time Kuki felt the warmth of Lucy Mae Beetles in her arms. And she simply couldn't let it be the last.

* * *

**A/N: Took forever and I don't even like it. But, I have some stuff planned so the next wait shouldn't be so long :D**


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